UMB staff and faculty members’ responses to the Core Values Conversation focused on our core value of Well-Being and Sustainability.
At the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB), our core values are more than words, they are our way of life — the demonstration of what we stand for and the guide for our behaviors. Our core values of Respect and Integrity, Well-Being and Sustainability, Equity and Justice, and Innovation and Discovery are at the heart of our mission to improve the human condition and serve the public good of Maryland and society at-large.
Since November 2024, we have been exploring UMB’s core value of Well-Being and Sustainability — We care about the welfare of our people, planet, communities, and University — by posing thought-provoking questions for you to respond to.
Several people have taken this opportunity to engage with this core value in an intentional way and share their insights with the UMB community:
- Ben Eglash, an Administration and Finance staff member, shared: “To me, well-being is the umbrella term that takes into account any and all aspects that are crucial to living your life. Well-being takes into account your physical health, your emotional health, spiritual health, relational health, mental health, financial health; it takes into account your environment and your support systems, it takes into account your community, culture, country; it takes into account the state of our world. In short, well-being is how an individual is feeling about the combination of everything happening in the world. Just as plants need a balance of water, sun, and nutrients, a person's well-being is dependent on a combination of taking care of yourself (relaxing, reading, exercising, cooking), taking care of others (supporting friends, families, pets, strangers), and taking care of the world around us (if the current state of the world is affecting our well-being, the best cure is to take action: communicate, educate, volunteer).”
- Christina, a School of Graduate Studies’ faculty member, shared: “Well-being means feeling a sense of calm, alignment, and fulfillment in most or all aspects of life. This supposes that one has a level of good health, enjoys their work, feels a sense of contribution to something larger, their basic needs are met, and they have emotional support and love from friends and family. I make time for exercise, meditation, walking outdoors, try to eat well, and do things that I enjoy, like pottery and music, to maintain balance. Personal well-being means you can show up fully for others.”
- Shiladitya DasSarma, a School of Medicine faculty member, shared: “An interdisciplinary UMB faculty consortium is working together to teach a course on Climate Change, Health, and Society (CIPP650) to build connections among the different UMB schools, other University System of Maryland campuses, stakeholders, and the community. Students and faculty in the course work together in interprofessional teams to address some of the challenges from the climate crisis in the community and state of Maryland. This helps to enhance our sense of well-being and sustainability, making Baltimore stronger and more climate resilient. We invite everyone to get involved!”
- Carey Martin, a School of Medicine staff member, shared: “Sustainability means making choices that prioritize the long-term health of the planet, as well as myself and that of future generations. It involves being mindful of how I consume resources, reducing waste, and supporting practices that protect the environment. This could include actions like conserving energy and water, minimizing single-use plastics, recycling, choosing sustainable products, and supporting local businesses.”
- An anonymous member of the School of Medicine staff asked a question for the University as a whole regarding integrating sustainable practices into our workplace and UMB community: “How do we square promoting the use of AI in all aspects of the workplace when we know that a simple Chat GPT query uses (I read) 10 times the energy of a Google/Bing/DuckDuckGo search? Data centers are environmental nightmares. More and more of them will be required as increased numbers of workers employ AI in their daily work in addition to the large-scale use planned for health care, etc. I understand that use in health care 'improves the human condition.' However it seems to simultaneously hurt the human and environmental condition. Seems this should be considered in the Core Values Sustainability discussions.”
Thank you to everyone who engaged in the Core Values Conversation focused on Well-Being and Sustainability. All of the posted responses can be seen here along with an opportunity to engage in the conversation yourself.
Beginning on Monday, Feb. 3, the Core Values Conversation will shift to highlight UMB's core value of Equity and Justice. Throughout February and March, a new, thought-provoking question will be posted every other Monday (https://www.umaryland.edu/core-values/cv-conversation/) followed by new questions each week throughout April focused on putting this core value into action.